The Nylons are an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Can… Read Full Bio ↴The Nylons are an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, best known for their covers of The Turtles' "Happy Together", Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", and The Tokens' version of the traditional "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".

The origins of the Nylons date back to 1978 when four experienced Toronto stage actors, Connors, Cooper, Morrison, and Simpson, used to get together in the back of a delicatessen to sing doo-wop together. They took their ensemble to parties and friend's houses and constant comments from people convinced them to take their unique a cappella act into the clubs. An acquaintence met at a party was about to open a new cabaret and invited them to debut there. They played there for six weeks, garnering rave critical and audience reviews. In 1979 Simpson retired from the group and Cole was brought on board. They very quickly established themselves as one of the area's classiest and most original ensembles and caught the attention of Attic Records. Their first album eventually went platinum in Canada (100,000 copies), and there followed four more releases on Attic that all sold at least gold in Canada (50,000 copies). They received the equivalent of a Dutch Grammy award and a gold disc for the One Size Fits All album and the Best Singer Award at 1986's Tokyo Music Festival. In 1987 Disney used their song That Kind Of Man in their feature The Tin Man, and their version of Up The Ladder To The Roof was used in the movie Made In Heaven. They also scored a second appearance on the Taft Broadcasting television show Throb after writing the theme song and a previous appearance on the program. In February 1991 founding member Connors left the group and in March of that year died of viral pneumonia. A new deal in 1991 with Scotti Brothers in the US and BMG in Canada saw the release of three more albums, and constant touring on either side of the border. Over the years various member changes have led to today's lineup of Morrison, Robinson, Mosbaugh, and Cassius. In 1997 they signed with Shoreline Records in the US, a label primarily devoted to vocal groups, and released the Fabric Of Life. Today they continue to tour the world to audience and critical acclaim.

Singles
1982 The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Attic) 1983 Silhouettes (Attic) 1983 That Kind Of Man (Attic) 1984 Take Me To Your Heart (Attic) 1984 Perpetual Emotion (Attic) 1984 Stepping Stone (Attic) 1984 Combat Zone (Attic) 1987 Kiss Him Goodbye (Attic) 1987 Happy Together (Attic) 1987 Chain Gang (Attic) 1989 Wild Fire (Attic) 1989 Drift Away (Attic) 1991 Call My Name (Attic) 1991 One Fine Day (Attic) 1992 Don't Look Any Further (Scotti Brothers)

Albums
1982 The Nylons (Attic) 1982 One Size Fits All (Attic) 1984 Seamless (Attic) 1987 Happy Together (Attic) 1989 Rockapella (Attic) 1991 Four On The Floor (Attic) 1992 Live To Love (BMG) 1993 Illustrious: A Collection Of Classic Hits (Attic) 1994 Harmony - The Christmas Songs (BMG) 1994 Because... (BMG) 1996 Run For Cover (BMG) 1997 Fabric Of Life (Shoreline) 1997 Perfect Fit (Windham Hill) [re-release of 1993's Illustrious]

Marc Connors (baritone; RIP 1991) Paul Cooper (tenor) Claude Morrison (tenor) Dennis Simpson (bass) Ralph Cole (bass; replaced Simpson 1979) Arnold Robinson (bass; replaced Cole 1981) Micah Barnes (tenor; replaced Cooper 1991) Billy Newton-Davis (baritone; replaced Connors 1992) Garth Mosbaugh (tenor; replaced Barnes 1994) Gavin Hope (baritone; replaced Newton-Davis 1994) Mark Cassius (baritone; replaced Hope 1997)

Ruby Baby
The Nylons Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ruby baby
When will you be
Will you be mine

I got a girl and Ruby is her name
She don't love me but I love her just the same
Ruby Ruby, how I want you
Like a ghost I'm gonna haunt you

Ruby Ruby when will you be mine

Each time I see you baby my heart cries
I'm gonna steal you away from all those guys
From the sunny day I met you
Made a bet that I would get you
Ruby Ruby when will you be mine

I got a girl and Ruby is her name
I'd give the world just to set her heart aflame
Got some lovin', money too
Gonna give it all to you

Ruby Ruby when will you be
Ruby Ruby when will you be mine

Overall Meaning

The Nylons’ song “Ruby Baby” is a classic love song about unrequited love. The singer of the song is deeply in love with a woman named Ruby, but she does not feel the same way. The lyrics convey the singer’s desperation, as he sings about how much he wants to be with her and how he would do anything to win her over. The line “Like a ghost I’m gonna haunt you” suggests that the singer is willing to go to great lengths to get Ruby’s attention and affection.

The song’s chorus repeats the question “Ruby Ruby when will you be mine?” which emphasizes the singer’s longing for Ruby. The second verse of the song mentions how the singer made a bet that he would win Ruby’s heart after meeting her on a sunny day. However, it seems that Ruby has not yet reciprocated his feelings. The song concludes with the singer promising to give Ruby all of his love and money, as he sings, “Got some lovin', money too/Gonna give it all to you/Ruby Ruby when will you be/Ruby Ruby when will you be mine.”

Overall, “Ruby Baby” is a bittersweet love song that captures the pain of unrequited love. It showcases the power of music to express complex emotions and experiences.

Line by Line Meaning

Ruby baby
Addressing the girl named Ruby

When will you be
Asking when she will be with the singer

Will you be mine
Asking if she will be in a relationship with the singer

I got a girl and Ruby is her name
The artist has a crush on a girl named Ruby

She don't love me but I love her just the same
Ruby does not reciprocate the artist's love but he loves her anyway

Ruby Ruby, how I want you
The singer desires Ruby deeply

Like a ghost I'm gonna haunt you
The singer will pursue Ruby relentlessly

Each time I see you baby my heart cries
Seeing Ruby causes the artist great emotional pain

I'm gonna steal you away from all those guys
The artist wants to take Ruby away from other potential suitors

From the sunny day I met you
The day the artist met Ruby was bright and happy

Made a bet that I would get you
The singer vowed to win Ruby's heart